How can we overcome doubt in prayer?
Many people, at some point, doubt God when they pray. Others
feel discouraged when answers seem delayed. Besides knowing that God is loving
and able, what more should we know when our prayers seems unanswered? What will
help us remain strong in faith? While others ask if God really cares, what will
help us shake off doubt in prayer?
God is sensitive to
your needs
When we trace the process of creation, we get a glimpse of
how to overcome doubt in prayer. First, the story of creation shows us how
sensitive God is to our needs.
He created the sea before the fish, he created vegetation
before animals like cattle, goats and wild beasts. He knew the fish needed
water to survive. He knew also that the animals needed to feed.
This also applies to creation of man in Gen 1:27. God
created fruits and plants in verse 12 before creating man so that when he
creates man there would be food for him. This applies to our lives today; God
knows what we need and has already put it in place.
Therefore, the first step to overcoming doubt in prayer is,
understanding that God is sensitive to your needs.
We can never doubt
God
Another common question that people ask, is whether God is
working on their prayers? We need to realize that we can never doubt the power
and love of God because he has all the answers that we need.
Back to the story of creation in Gen 2:18, it is God who
realized Adam needed a helper. Adam was just going about his normal routine,
taking care of the Garden of Eden not knowing the work was tiring.
The reason why I call the work tiring is because God says
Adam needed a helper. As we know it in the literal meaning a helper is only
preferable when we need to ease the burden of some work.
Here we see Adam who had not realized that he was in need
yet God was already mindful of him and was responding by creating a helper.
Therefore we can be boldly confident that God is already working out a solution
for us.
How many times do we miss to understand that God is always
working for our good?
Romans 8.28…and we know that all things work together for
good to them that love God, to them who are called according to his purpose.
God is always aware of our needs. In fact, we cannot
overcome his sensitivity to our needs. We can never report anything new to God.
Our prayers are not any breaking news to his ears. He knew that Adam needed a
helper even before Adam realized that the work was tiring.
God hears when you
pray
The third step of shaking off doubt is, every time you get
into a prayer mood, God hears what you are asking from Him. And the question
that God asks people in Isaiah 40 is, if he knows the stars in their number and
by their names, how can he fail to know what we need?
When Jesus was teaching the disciples on how to pray in
Matthew 6 he told them that our father knows what we need even before we pray.
And I usually ask myself, this God who knows our needs even
before we pray, and later He hears us ask of the same thing He knows we need,
does He just sit around watching us deep in need.
No! He is always working. But He requires us to cast our
burdens to Him. He requires us to draw close to him and he will give us rest.
The Bible in Matthew 6:7 also says when you pray do not use vain repetitions,
mark the word ‘when we pray.’ This means although God knows what we need,
he expects us to pray always, without ceasing. The fact that he knows and hears
when you pray should help you shake off all doubts.
The bigger picture
Some people may ask, if God is able and caring, if he
responds to our prayers, what happened to Abraham’s wish to get a son? The
answer is, God works in ways that we cannot see. And that his timing is always
the best. He knows the plans he has for us.
To Abraham who prayed for a son his answer came at a time
when he did not expect. At an old age!
This is because God was cultivating a very crucial character
in a Christian life - the character of trusting in Him as a provider. The Bible
in the book of Hebrews 12 records about the tremendous faith of Abraham and
Sarah.
Imagine if God gave Abraham a son at the time when Abraham
wanted him, the story would not be interesting. However, God made Abraham grow
in faith because when he had a son at old age he realized it was not by human
ability but by God’s power. Because even for Sarah, she was past child bearing
age!
What about Paul in 2 Cor 12, Paul had a weakness of a thorn
in flesh, and he prayed that God may take it away. But instead God said to him
that his power is made perfect in weaknesses.
Therefore when our answers are not answered in the way we
wanted, we can be sure that God is targeting on something bigger and better. If
He could have given Abraham a son at a youthful age, Abraham could not have
learnt to lean of God and Paul would not have learnt to be strong in weakness.
The climax of shaking off the doubt within us, is knowing
that God is able to do more than we can ever ask. So if he is able to do more
than what we ask, why get troubled by what we ask.
If an athlete can comfortably run a 42KM race, who would
ever doubt if the same athlete would be able to run 5KM comfortably? God
created the world within a week and it has taken scientists centuries to
understand a slice of its greatness. Therefore our needs are small before him.
I have a list of qualities of God that make me confident
when I pray.
That for God,
He cares more than we think he should,
When we pray about the possible, he fixes even the
impossible,
When we pray about the imaginable, he answers with the
unimaginable
He works in an exceedingly and abundantly way
God knows our needs even before we pray
He hears when I pray, he is not deaf
The almighty God opens doors when I knock,
His hand is not too short to save,
God does not sleep nor slumber, He’s always working,
He never tires to listen and to care for us,
God will not put off those who call unto him day and night,
God cares more than we think and loves more than we
expect. Get encouraged and shake off the
doubt when you pray.
BY BENSON GITAU
